Cilla Upsets Prioress; Public Sector Takes Saranac

Even at the graded stakes level, select Louisiana-breds are showing they can take their show on the road to New York.

Last year, No Parole  went to Belmont Park and came away with a victory in the Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Claiborne Farm (G1). Then Sept. 4 at Saratoga Race Course, another Louisiana-bred triumphed when Cilla  turned away favored Souper Sensational  by a half-length to capture the $242,500 Prioress Stakes (G2).

Though Cilla had lost prior graded stakes efforts—finishing third, beaten 12 1/4 lengths in the Frizette Stakes (G1) last fall, and sixth in the Beaumont Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G3) this spring—she proved she belonged Saturday. She stalked the pace in the six-furlong race in fourth, advanced into second on the turn when moving in tandem with Souper Sensational, and was resurgent down the lane after that rival had poked a head in front. Cilla finished the distance in 1:10.05 on a fast track following fractions of :22.25 and :45.06 set by Edie Meeny Miny Mo . 

She survived an inquiry and claim of foul from Ricardo Santana Jr., who rode runner-up Souper Sensational for owner Live Oak Plantation and trainer Mark Casse. Cilla came out under left-handed urging from her rider, Tyler Gaffalione, lightly bumping the runner-up. Stewards let the result stand.

"That's not the way you want to do things. You want to ride a clean race and keep a straight path," said Gaffalione. "Unfortunately, my filly was just getting a little bit tired and every time I asked her she wanted to come out a little bit. But we never crossed that line and I was pretty confident that we were going to stay up."

Li'l Tootsie  ran third, 1 1/4 lengths behind the runner-up. Oxana  and Edie Meeny Miny Mo completed the order of finish following the scratch of Amendment Nineteen  in the race for sophomore fillies.

Although Charlton Baker was the trainer of record for her New York start Saturday, Cilla has raced for much of her career for trainer Brett Brinkman, who was on hand to watch the Prioress. Brinkman bred her with P. Dale Ladner, who owns the California Chrome   filly.

"I don't run any horses in New York. I may come up once a year and the girl that rubs this horse (Lisa Whitaker) used to work for Charlie," Brinkman said.

Now a winner of five of 10 starts and $326,000, Cilla previously won the Blue Sparkler Stakes in open company at Monmouth Park July 10.

"She's fast and she's a 3-year-old. There's limited opportunities for those fillies," said Brinkman. "We felt like after we got her on track a couple of races ago and that we were going to let her step along and buy her way to the next one. She's obviously bought her way to this one." 

Brinkman also trained her dam for Ladner—the multiple stakes-winning Into Mischief   mare Sittin At the Bar , who went 11-for-19 and made $705,896.

Cilla ($23.40) is one of three stakes winners from four foals produced by Sittin At the Bar. Others include Club Car  (Malibu Moon  ), who this year captured the West Virginia Secretary of State Stakes and was also runner-up in the Chicago Stakes (G3), and Jack the Umpire  (Bodemeister  ), who captured the Jean Lafitte Stakes.

The dam also has a yearling filly by Lord Nelson   named Alva Starr. She was bred to Frosted   for 2022.

Video: Prioress S. (G2)

Public Sector Soars in Saranac

A few races later on Saturday, British-bred Public Sector  prevailed in the $200,000 Saranac Stakes (G3T) for 3-year-old grass horses. 

Under a ground-saving journey from Irad Ortiz Jr., he stalked pacesetting Never Surprised  through fractions of :24.73, :49.19, and 1:12.42 in the 1 1/16-mile turf race before angling out three-wide in the stretch and wearing down the leader and pace-pressing Like the King .  The Chad Brown-trained and Klaravich Stables-owned runner finished 1 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:41.78, returning $4.40 to win.

"I got a perfect trip. We broke well from the one-hole and two horses had speed, so I sat off of them," Ortiz said. "When it was time to roll, I asked my horse and he was loaded. When he switched leads, he gave me a good turn-of-foot. He responded really well."

Never Surprised, initially keen in his first start since the winter, settled thereafter and held second, a length behind the winner and another length in front of in third Like the King. He'spuregold , Founder , and Mohs  completed the six-horse order of finish.

"I was really as curious as anyone to see how he would kick on when he squared off with (Never Surprised) in the stretch and of course, we had the benefit of having some race fitness, while the other horse was coming off a layoff. I'm sure he got a lot out of that," Brown said. "I'm so proud of my horse and the trip Irad was able to execute with him. My team really kept him in good form and kept developing him."

The Saranac was the second graded stakes victory of the meet for the son of Kingman , who won the Aug. 6 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T).

Brown indicated he would like to run Public Sector in the Hollywood Derby (G1T) at Del Mar Nov. 27, with an undetermined race in between.

Brown's prior Saranac winner, Raging Bull  in 2018, won the Hollywood Derby later that year with a fifth-place finish in the Hill Prince Stakes (G2T) coming in between. This year's 1 1/8-mile, $400,000 Hill Prince is Oct. 23 at Belmont Park.

Public Sector improved to 4-3-0 in eight starts with earnings of $268,600—his only poor effort a 12th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T) in November at Keeneland. Out of the Montjeu  mare Parle Moi , he was purchased by agent Mike Ryan on behalf of Klaravich for the equivalent of $217,823 from the Clearwater Stud consignment at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Bred by The Kathryn Stud, he is the lone stakes winner of dam's three foals to race. Of the dam's two unraced foals, one is yearling colt by Golden Horn .

Video: Saranac S. (G3T)